ATLANTA - Chase Oliver will have a meet and greet Sunday at the Kansas City restaurant owned by the father of a local teen who was shot Saturday and survived.
“As a gun owner and uncle of seven, I am appalled by the shooting of Ralph Yarl. The details surrounding this event are heartbreaking, and I believe Ralph and his family areowed justice here,” says Oliver, who is arriving with a family friend of the Yarls.
Oliver is a candidate for president and will be in Topeka on Sunday morning for the Libertarian Party of Kansas convention.
“As I travel through the region this weekend, I want to extend my empathy to his familyand the community.”
Ralph Yarl, 16, at about 10 p.m. Saturday went to pick up his younger brothers at an unfamiliar house. He came to the wrong address - 115th Street instead of 115th Terrace 1 block away - knocked on the door, and according to police reports, a man shot Yarl through the glass door.
Yarl, who had forgotten his phone, yelled that he’d been shot. He dragged himself to three houses before he finally reached a neighbor who called 911 and, after getting instructions from the dispatcher to be wary, insisted that Yarl keep his hands up and in view. Only then did the neighbor come outside to tend to Yarl’s injuries.
Prosecutors on Monday charged homeowner Andrew Lester, 84, with armed criminal action and assault.
“Ralph is a great student, a member of his high-school band, and from all accounts, a great
young man. I hope he is able to heal and recover, and I pray that his shooter is held
accountable,” Oliver says.
Oliver will send all donations from the event to the Go Fund Me account established by Yarl’s Aunt Faith Spoonmore, and he will be promoting it through all of his social media channels. https://gofund.me/b68601b2
Michael Kelly, the Libertarian Party Lead for Leavenworth County, Kansas, has arranged a Sunday afternoon event at the restaurant owned by Ralph’s father, Victor. Kelly has known the Yarl family for 4 years and their families get together when they can: His wife worked with Ralph’s mother, and his son and Ralph’s twin brothers are friends.
Sunday, April 23, 9 a.m. | Meet and greet at the Libertarian Party of Kansas convention
Hotel Topeka
1717 SW Topeka Blvd.
Topeka, KS 66612
Sunday, April 23, 4-6 p.m. | Meet and greet at the Yarl’s restaurant
My Village-Grill Restaurant
26 E. 29th St.
Kansas City, MO 64111
Oliver was the first openly gay Senate candidate in Georgia, where he garnered over 80,000 votes and forced a runoff between the Republican and Democratic candidates. Oliver is running for president, seeking to be the Libertarian Party candidate in 2024.
The candidate is making himself available for media leading up to the event and in person if requested. Media and journalism students may shadow him during the visit.
To learn more about Chase Oliver, donate, or volunteer, please visit votechaseoliver.com.
###
For media requests, please email us at: media@votechaseoliver.com
Comments